The University of Michigan (U-M) Graham Institute Undergraduate Sustainability Scholars Program provides unique opportunities to expand and explore your interests in sustainability while engaging in leadership training. In addition to taking a nine-credit sequence of courses and participating in co-curricular activities, students can receive up to $4,000 to pursue a field-based sustainability experience. This fact sheet provides an overview of the program requirements and application process. Learn more about the U-M Undergraduate Sustainability Scholars Program.

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is a quiet, rural area where you can escape the busyness of urban cities. Population density is low in the Upper Peninsula (UP), making energy transmission costs high and causing electricity rates to be among the highest in the United States. In Baraga, 33.2% of residents live below the poverty line, and a reduction in electricity rates would make a significant difference to them.

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A summary of refereed literature that addresses social and environmental performance and governance of GSI, and results of NEW-GI’s analyses of the performance of bioretention garden pilot sites in Detroit’s Warrendale neighborhood. This report integrates assessments of water quality, stormwater flows, residents’ preferences, neighborhood well-being, and the maintenance characteristics of 18 different design alternatives for GSI on vacant property in residential neighborhoods.

The Graham Institute catalyzes and facilitates sustainability engagement and collaboration for University of Michigan faculty and students, across all academic units, working in partnership with external stakeholders. The Institute convenes interdisciplinary faculty and student teams to address local-to-global sustainability challenges.

College tuition rates are increasing every year, forcing many students to take out student loans. Free Application For Student Aid (FAFSA) is something every college student fills out, but not many truly understand how the process of student loan borrowing works. Michigan student loan default rates are higher than the national average, and women, especially women of color, are disproportionately affected by student debt. With a $5,000 seed grant from the Dow Distinguished Awards competition, a University of Michigan (U-M) student team is co-designing a solution with students to meet their loan literacy needs.

The research findings summarized in this report provide a more complete understanding of the relative contributions of different sources of phosphorus within the St. Clair-Detroit River System watershed, including Lake Huron, point sources, combined sewer overflow events,and runoff from both agricultural and urban lands.

In 2016, Traverse City, Michigan committed to sourcing 100% of the energy used for city operations from renewable sources by 2020. In 2018, the municipal utility Traverse City Light & Power made a similar commitment to 100% renewable sources by 2040. These declarations created opportunities for local energy project development in the region, paving the way for renewables to benefit environmental, social, and economic issues within the community. Renewable energy projects and infrastructure are not new, but communities across the United States are still struggling to find the best models to harness this opportunity, particularly for underserved geographies and communities.